Jessica Pegula correctly tipped Brenda Fruhvirtova to beat Mirra Andreeva at Wimbledon

Jessica Pegula’s press conference Tuesday at Wimbledon had plenty to dig into.

It was a contrast to her opening match, where the No. 5 seed needed just 49 minutes to dispatch countrywoman Ashlyn Krueger, 6-2, 6-0.

Seven different women have won the grass-court major in the past seven years. While Pegula features in the top half of the draw with the likes of world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and the past two winners, Marketa Vondrousova (who lost later Tuesday) and Elena Rybakina, she was asked about the other side.

Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka both pulled out with shoulder injuries ahead of their scheduled contests, leaving no former semifinalists in the bottom half. Three more seeds were eliminated, including one that Pegula saw coming.

“I picked Brenda Fruhvirtova to win yesterday. That was my special pick,” revealed Pegula about tipping the Czech to beat fellow 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.

“All of a sudden you play somebody that's pretty good, that's coming up that's also your age, sometimes it can just be different.”

The 30-year-old is a returning quarterfinalist, having fallen to eventual champion Vondrousova after holding a 4-1 lead in their decisive set. Pegula made waves in Berlin nine days ago when she saved five championship points to topple Anna Kalinskaya.

While she celebrated her first grass-court title with that valiant triumph, it’s not changing how Pegula approaches her latest visit to the All England Club.

“I'm not really one to be like, ‘I'm going to win Wimbledon.’ I'm not telling myself that in the mirror over and over again. Maybe some people are different and that's what they like to do,” she said.

“I think it's me, just belief in every single match, maybe not getting too ahead of myself. I think at the same time it's hard not to when you're here, you feel how special it is, you see all the pictures of the past champions, even from last year. You get the sense that it feels much bigger. It's hard to escape that, I feel, like here.”

I'm not really one to be like, ‘I'm going to win Wimbledon.’ I'm not telling myself that in the mirror over and over again. Maybe some people are different and that's what they like to do. —Jessica Pegula

Speaking of escaping, Pegula, her sister Kelly and fellow 2024 Olympic team member Desirae Krawczyk did just that in the city before the tournament. Not one for many traditions in town beyond hitting up coffee shops, escape room adventures might change her mind.

“We were a little nervous. We were like, ‘Ooh, three, it's a little light,’” shared Pegula. “We actually crushed it. I don't know, maybe I'll go do another one tonight to keep the momentum.”